17/08/2025

ON SUNDAY August 17, 2025 theSunday Special XI

WKH\ PXVW EXLOG WUXVW IRVWHU FRPPXQLFD WLRQ DQG EH RXWFRPHV GULYHQ Company FXOWXUH WRR QHHGV WR EH UHGH¿QHG *RQH DUH WKH GD\V RI ZDWHUFRROHU FKDWV DQG ZHHNO\ )ULGD\ SRWOXFNV 7RGD\ PDQ\ WHDPV ERQG RYHU YLUWXDO FR̆ HH FKDWV 6ODFN channels and monthly team check-ins. A QLV VDLG WKDW KLULQJ SUDFWLFHV KDYH DOVR VKLIWHG “ 6RIW VNLOOV OLNH FRPPXQLFDWLRQ VHOI discipline and adaptability are more LPSRUWDQW QRZ WKDQ HYHU

Psychological downsides, including blurred work-life boundaries and burnout, remain real concerns.

A generational divide W RUNSODFH H[SHFWDWLRQV DOVR GL̆ HU DFURVV age groups. While Gen X and Baby Boom HUV PD\ VWLOO ¿QG FRPIRUW LQ VWUXFWXUHG Ṙ FH HQYLURQPHQWV \RXQJHU HPSOR\HHV SDUWLFXODUO\ 0LOOHQQLDOV DQG *HQ = DUH GHPDQGLQJ JUHDWHU ÀH[LELOLW\ A 3Z& 0DOD\VLD VXUYH\ IRXQG WKDW RI *HQ = ZRUNHUV UDQNHG ZRUN OLIH EDODQFH DV D WRS SULRULW\ DKHDG RI VDODU\ DQG MRE VHFXULW\ )RU WKHP WKH ZRUNSODFH LV QRW D SK\VLFDO Ṙ FH ± LW¶V ZKHUHYHU WKH\ can work best. “ )OH[LELOLW\ LVQ¶W MXVW D QLFH WR KDYH ,W¶V D GHDO EUHDNHU ,I D MRE GRHVQ¶W R̆ HU VRPH OHYHO RI DXWRQRP\ \RXQJ WDOHQWV DUH VLPSO\ ZDONLQJ DZD\ ´ VDLG .XDOD Lumpur-based recruiter Anis Roslan. Challenges and inequalities D HVSLWH WKH EHQH¿WV UHPRWH ZRUN DOVR UHYHDOV VWUXFWXUDO LQHTXDOLWLHV 1RW DOO 0DOD\VLDQV KDYH HTXDO DFFHVV WR KLJK VSHHG LQWHUQHW SDUWLFXODUO\ WKRVH LQ UXUDO DUHDV ,Q PDQ\ FDVHV HPSOR\HHV PXVW EHDU WKH FRVW RI VHWWLQJ XS D KRPH Ṙ FH WKHPVHOYHV )RU ORZHU LQFRPH ZRUNHUV WKHVH FRVWV FDQ EH D VLJQL¿FDQW EDUULHU WR H̆ HFWLYH UHPRWH SDUWLFLSDWLRQ There are also psychological downsides. ,VRODWLRQ EOXUUHG ZRUN OLIH ERXQGDULHV and burnout remain real concerns. A Malaysian Mental Health Association 00+$ VWXG\ IRXQG WKDW QHDUO\ RQH LQ WKUHH UHPRWH ZRUNHUV UHSRUWHG IHHOLQJ PRUH DQ[LRXV DQG HPRWLRQDOO\ IDWLJXHG WKDQ ZKHQ ZRUNLQJ LQ DQ Ṙ FH “People think remote work automati FDOO\ PHDQV OHVV VWUHVV +RZHYHU WKH WUXWK LV WKDW LW WDNHV PRUH GLVFLSOLQH FOHDUHU communication and proper boundaries. 2WKHUZLVH SHRSOH HQG XS ZRUNLQJ ORQJHU KRXUV ZLWKRXW HYHQ UHDOLVLQJ LW ´ :RQJ explained. How employers are responding Forward-thinking companies in Malaysia DUH H[SHULPHQWLQJ ZLWK K\EULG PRGHOV

A 2023 World Bank report noted that 0DOD\VLD¶V GLJLWDO JLJ HFRQRP\ LV RQH RI WKH IDVWHVW JURZLQJ LQ 6RXWKHDVW $VLD

Soft skills like communication, self-discipline and adaptability are more important now than ever.”

VRPH RI ZKLFK UHTXLUH VWD̆ WR EH LQ WKH RI - ¿FH WZR RU WKUHH GD\V D ZHHN ,Q FRQWUDVW RWKHUV DGRSW UHVXOWV EDVHG SHUIRUPDQFH PHWULFV UDWKHU WKDQ ¿[HG KRXUV A %DQN 1HJDUD 0DOD\VLD UHSRUW LQ 2023 highlighted how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are slowly catching XS ZLWK GLJLWDO LQIUDVWUXFWXUH XSJUDGHV WR HQDEOH ÀH[LEOH ZRUN +RZHYHU PDQ\ VWLOO IDFH EXGJHW DQG WUDLQLQJ FRQVWUDLQWV A W WKH VDPH WLPH JRYHUQPHQW LQLWLD WLYHV VXFK DV WKH 0\',*,7$/ EOXHSULQW DLP WR EXLOG D GLJLWDOO\ VDYY\ ZRUNIRUFH and encourage tech adoption among HPSOR\HUV 0HDQZKLOH .:63¶V L 6DUDDQ VFKHPH IRU VHOI HPSOR\HG ZRUNHUV DQG IUHHODQFHUV DFNQRZOHGJHV WKDW WKH IXWXUH RI ZRUN LV QRW OLPLWHG WR IXOO WLPH HPSOR\ - ment. The rise of the gig and freelance economy R HPRWH ZRUN KDV DOVR IXHOHG WKH ULVH RI JLJ ZRUN DQG GLJLWDO IUHHODQFLQJ 3ODWIRUPV OLNH 8SZRUN :RUNDQD DQG HYHQ VRFLDO PHGLD KDYH HQDEOHG 0DOD\VLDQ FUHDWLYHV ZULWHUV PDUNHWHUV DQG VRIWZDUH GHYHORS HUV WR DFFHVV LQWHUQDWLRQDO FOLHQWV RIWHQ DW KLJKHU UDWHV WKDQ WKRVH R̆ HUHG ORFDOO\ ZLWK SD\PHQWV JHQHUDOO\ UHFHLYHG LQ 86 dollars.

Some Malaysian companies are adopting hybrid work models or results-based performance ŊĢϰØĢĢłŊϰŽãŨÿØÿēÿŊũϰ¾ěßϰĻľĢßŏÙŊÿŢÿŊũλ